Grocery Store Beauty Dupes Can Save Shoppers a Fortune. Yet, Do Budget Beauty Items Actually Work?

Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing Rachael Parnell found out Aldi was offering a fresh skincare range that looked similar to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

The shopper hurried to her local shop to purchase the store-brand face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 of the Augustinus Bader 50ml cream.

The streamlined blue tube and gold lid of the two items look strikingly comparable. And though she has not used the luxury cream, she says she's impressed by the product so far.

She has been purchasing beauty alternatives from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for a long time, and she's not alone.

Over a 25% of UK buyers state they've bought a skincare or makeup alternative. This increases to 44 percent among 18-34 year olds, according to a February survey.

Alternatives are skincare products that mimic bigger name labels and offer affordable substitutes to luxury products. These products often have alike branding and containers, but occasionally the components can change considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Beauty professionals say some dupes to high-end brands are good quality and help make beauty routines cheaper.

"It is not true that more expensive is necessarily more effective," states dermatology expert a doctor. "Not every low-budget product line is poor - and not all high-end beauty item is the top."

"A number of [dupes] are really impressive," adds a podcast host, who presents a program with celebrities.

A lot of of the products based on luxury labels "disappear so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist Ross Perry thinks alternatives are acceptable to use for "simple routines" like hydrators and face washes.

"Alternatives will serve a purpose," he explains. "These items will do the essentials to a satisfactory degree."

A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can save money when seeking single-ingredient products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"When you're purchasing a single-ingredient product then you're likely going to be alright in using a budget alternative or a product which is quite inexpensive because there's not much that can go wrong," she adds.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Container'

But the specialists also recommend buyers investigate and say that higher-priced products are at times worth the extra money.

Regarding premium skincare, you're not only funding the brand and marketing - sometimes the increased cost also stems from the components and their grade, the strength of the active ingredient, the research used to produce the product, and tests into the item's efficacy, she explains.

Skin therapist another professional suggests it's worth considering how some dupes can be offered so cheaply.

Occasionally, she says they could contain filler ingredients that lack as many benefits for the skin, or the components might not be as well sourced.

"The key doubt is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she asks.

Expert Scott admits in some cases he's purchased skincare items that appear comparable to a established label but the item has "little similarity to the premium version".

"Don't be fooled by the container," he cautioned.

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For more complicated items or those with ingredients that can inflame the complexion if they're not formulated properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, the specialist suggests selecting medical-grade companies.

She states these probably have been through comprehensive studies to evaluate how successful they are.

Skincare items need to be assessed before they can be available in the UK, explains skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

When the label advertises about the efficacy of the item, it requires research to verify it, "however the manufacturer doesn't always have to do the testing" and can alternatively use studies completed by other brands, she adds.

Check the Label of the Bottle

Are there any ingredients that could signal a item is inferior?

Components on the label of the container are ordered by concentration. "The baddies that you should look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up